– It gave him an opportunity to talk to the American population. It is very important to him, because he believes that the traditional media do not cover what he says. Here he had the opportunity to reach out, in a profiled interview, and perhaps influence the upcoming election in 2024. Did he succeed? I do not think so.
That’s what Russia expert and CNN’s former Moscow correspondent Jill Dougherty says in a news item on CNN. Dougherty speculates that Tucker Carlson’s occasional signs of confusion will likely reflect American viewers’ reactions as well.
– If you look at the interview, over half an hour went by with a detailed history of Russia that goes back 1,000 years. At one point Tucker Carlson looked a little confused: the date was 1654 and the review wasn’t done yet. If Putin tried to speak to the American public, they will be completely confused by this.
Also read: Hey, parents, we’re not very good at this!
Joked about Nord Stream sabotage
In the just over two-hour interview, Vladimir Putin was asked, among other things, whether he was behind the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines that run between Germany and Russia via the Baltic Sea, writes NTB.
So far, no one has been blamed for the sabotage, which happened in September 2022. To Carlson’s question, Putin humorously replies that it was Carlson himself who was behind it.
Furthermore, Putin more seriously hints that Nato or the CIA did it, without explaining further or presenting evidence.
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Out of the question to invade Poland
To Tucker Carlson, President Vladimir Putin says that it is out of the question for Russia to invade Poland or Latvia.
– Why would we do that? We have no interest in either Poland, Latvia or anywhere else. It’s just spreading threats, he says, and adds that it will only be relevant if one of the countries attacks Russia first.
The Russian president further claims that Western countries are using an “imagined Russian threat” to frighten their own populations, without going into why.
Vladimir Putin’s interview with the controversial American TV profile and journalist Tucker Carlson has recently been on everyone’s lips. He confirmed on Tuesday that he was in Moscow to interview Putin.
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Claims he wants to release American journalist
The suspected spy American journalist Evan Gershkovich also became a topic in the interview. There, Putin claims that talks about a release are already underway.
– Talks are already underway. We have had many such situations in the past, which have ended successfully, and this one will probably also be resolved in the end, he says in the controversial interview with Tucker Carlson.
Gershkovich works for the Wall Street Journal and is accused by the Russian authorities of espionage. He was arrested in March 2023. The charges are rejected by both the US authorities and Gershkovich himself.
Putin suggested that in exchange for Gershkovich, Russia would have Germany release Vadim Krasikov, who is serving life in prison for the 2019 murder of a Chechen dissident in Berlin.
Putin did not mention him by name, but referred to a person who “due to patriotic feelings eliminated a bandit in one of the European capitals.”
– We are encouraged by Russia’s desire for a deal that will bring Evan home, and we hope this leads to a speedy release and return to his family and our editorial staff, writes the Wall Street Journal in a statement.
Russia and the United States have previously carried out several high-profile prisoner exchanges. The most recent was in December 2022, when basketball star Brittney Griner, who was convicted of drug offenses in Russia, was exchanged for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
Comment: Not everyone wants peace. How should we deal with it?
Calls Ukraine an “artificial state”
Putin also calls Ukraine “an artificial state” and claims that parts of Ukraine originally belong to Romania and Hungary.
The former Fox presenter asks if Putin believes that Romania and Hungary therefore have a right to “take back” their territories.
– You can say that they could claim their lands back, even though they had no right to do so. It is at least understandable, Putin replies.
Controversial interview
Carlson’s interview with Putin was published on Thursday evening, shortly before midnight Norwegian time. According to Carlson’s own website, the interview was conducted on 6 February.
This is the first time Putin has been interviewed by a Western journalist since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Carlson claims that “no Western journalist has bothered” to interview the Russian president, which several media outlets and the Kremlin itself have rejected.
Carlson has garnered criticism from several prominent politicians in the US, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who calls Carlson a “useful idiot”. The White House has also come out against the interview.
– It should be obvious to everyone what Putin has done in Ukraine, and all the completely false and ridiculous justifications he has come up with to justify it, says security policy spokesperson John Kirby.
– I don’t think we need another interview with Putin to understand his brutality, says Kirby.
Read also: Points to Putin’s next goal: – We must be ready
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